1. recruit — to refresh, to reinvigorate, to restore the health of
Perry has gone with Aunt Emily to the island estate, where the beautiful grounds and pleasant clime will, D.V., recruit his mind and spirit, so addled by the frights he saw in the late unpleasantness.
2. biotope — region of ecological uniformity supporting specific grouping of plants and animals
The 1970s saw a movement to purchase and protect less traditionally ‘beautiful’ biotopes, which is one reason these tide pools and swamps are still preserved today.
3. jack-pudding — buffoon, merry-andrew
I am weary of all these jugglers and jack-puddings who attend every mountebank with the most outlandish poses and postures, and yet you would have me make obeisance to these knaves as if they were true men.
4. idiolect — the peculiar speech patterns of an individual
He affected—or perhaps it had become ingrained by the time I met him—an idiolect which married near obsolete phrasings of the long ago with a faux scientific mien, and he was the only gentleman whom I ever heard actually say the word “Harrumph!” in everyday speech.
5. asperse — to bespatter with false accusations; to slander, to traduce
That one of such vile reputation and sordid history should attempt to asperse my own actions and motivations with these base canards is a double affront.
6. ecod — mild oath (variant of ‘egad’)
“Ecod, man, would you rather I left you to the mercies of the Duke’s men?”
7. volary — large bird cage, aviary
Where you see a beautiful manor, I see a gilded volary where you and I and all such free spirits would be confined and imprisoned forevermore.
8. glad eye — friendly or flirtatious glance
Though she spoke only to my client, I noticed her giving me the glad eye whenever she looked my way.
9. hypertrophy — excessive growth or development
Samuel’s addiction to texting has resulted in severe hypertrophy of the thumb and first two fingers on his right hand.
10. mephitic — foul-smelling; noxious
From the darkened room wafted a repulsive mephitic wave of almost visible odor, as if all the dampest gym socks in the world had strangled each other in a sordid suicide pact upon a mound of rotting boiled cabbage.
Bonus Vocabulary
(British informal)
dosser — homeless person
He walked with that servile shuffle you see in many dossers, an attempt to avoid the pains and sores caused by wearing the same pair of shoes twenty-four hours a day, every day.